Last week the Leeds Rhinos players showed their support for Leeds City Council’s Child Friendly Leeds campaign, with the full squad wearing their ‘Thumbs Up’ badges on their trip to Wembley for the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup Final.
Leeds Rhinos Foundation were awarded the Best Overall Contributor in the Child Friendly Leeds awards earlier this year for their commitment to helping improve the lives of young people across the city and the support of the Leeds Rhinos players is something that is key to this. As positive role models and successful sportsmen the players are an inspiration to children throughout the city and their support of this city-wide campaign to raise awareness of the importance of putting children at the heart of the city helps them to achieve their ambition to change lives through sport.
As an extension of the work the Leeds Rhinos Foundation do to enhance lives and offer unique experiences for young people, the charity were able to take 150 children who live in the care of the local authority, the opportunity to travel to London to see their Rhinos heroes in action.
Speaking about the trip Maxine Kelly, Fostering Advisor for Leeds City Council, said: “Everyone who attended the trip to Wembley had a fantastic time – it was a long day but the amazing game absolutely made it worth it! We had a real mix of our looked after children, foster families and care leavers. The children and young people were a credit to themselves and the adults responsible for them. Everyone joined in the spirit of the day wearing their hats and waving their flags. We would like to say thank you on behalf of Leeds Children’s Services and our young people for providing this opportunity. I know the experience will stay with them for a lifetime!”